No, This is not next season's cast for Jersey Shore. Remember New Kids on the Block? You know–Donnie Wahlberg's band, which sold eighty million records worldwide? (This was in the late '80s and early '90s, when people still deigned to purchase music.) And who won two American Music Awards in 1990? No? How about the Backstreet Boys–they're kind of like NKOTB 2.0. Formed in 1993, they actually gained enough accolades to merit a separate Wikipedia page entitled “List of Awards Received by the Backstreet Boys”.

Those of us who are interested in reminiscing about the opportunity to hear “This One's for the Children” in order to be transported back to the junior high winter formal and maybe even do that hoppy dance to “I Want it That Way” can rest assured that NKOTB and Back Street Boys have not only combined into NKOTBSB but announced additional dates to their 2011 co-headlining tour, surely providing us with additional opportunities to hear that and other gems again. (Strangely, the existing July 1 L.A. date is not yet sold out. Perhaps desperate fans in sold-out Toronto and Chicago can make the trip.)

You can also get excited about the fact that you are in a demographic known as “aging fans,” which is something I'm sure you always hoped for. As in” this tour will be an indicator as to whether or not “aging fans” will use YouTube in order to engage with the bands and their new albums (Yes. There will be surely be new albums) or whether or not you will simply note the existence of the tour in passing, think about the fact that you once had a celebrity crush on Jordan Knight, and then go on with your lives.

Those of you who are not “aging fans”–don't get too smug. Some day you will be unhappy to learn that someone you care about is thrilled about the chance to see a fortysomething Justin Bieber in a comeback tour alongside Selena Gomez.

Fun facts about these groups that you always wanted to know but were afraid to admit you wanted to know:

Fun Fact: the Backstreet Boys prefer the term “male vocal group” to “boy band”.

Fun Fact: the Backstreet Boys got their name from an Orlando flea market–NOT the Blitz song!

Fun Fact: the Backstreet Boys also sold over 130,000,000 records.

Not as Fun Fact: the Jackson 5 has sold only 80,000,000.

Fun Fact: New Kid On the Block Donnie Wahlberg played the half-naked, mentally disturbed patient lurking around in his underwear in the beginning of The Sixth Sense. He lost “a few dozen pounds” to play the part.

Fun Fact: Mark Wahlberg had originally considered joining the group, but eventually declined due to its squeaky-clean image, which he must of inferred would prevent him from later dancing around in his underwear.

Fun Fact: New Kids wanted to be called “Nynuk.”

Fun Fact: New Kids' producer wanted to put a group together that was a funky, white version of the Jackson 5 but with the down-homeness of the Osmond Brothers.

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